Lesley Ugle is a Noongar Elder and long-time resident of Harvey, on Bindjareb Boodja in Western Australia’s South West. A leader in her community, she is involved with the Harvey Aboriginal Corporation, which shares traditional knowledge through Welcome to Country and smoking ceremonies, bush tucker and tool-making workshops, Noongar language courses and guided bush walks.
Lesley is regularly invited to deliver Welcome to Country across the Shire of Harvey, including at community events and citizenship ceremonies. She sees these moments as a way to start conversations and to encourage people to acknowledge the special place and time they are in. She has attended local Australia Day celebrations since the 1980s.
As a Noongar tour guide, she leads walks along the Harvey River, explaining how community effort has restored the river to a state close to its natural one. She also worked with local artists and community members to tell the story of Noongar land through the Noongar Kaartdijin Bidee art walk.
Lesley speaks openly about the Stolen Generations and the racism she faced as a child, and remains committed to closing the gap, educating others and keeping culture alive. In her words, the people who feel the stories and know the history of the country are best placed to tell them.